The Moto-Guzzi Nuovo Falcone VOC

It's quite easy to translate the online manuals & parts books from Italian to English, using Google translate.  After a while you get used to certain words anyway.

Alternatively you can get an English workshop manual from Martin Noke.  Have a look on Ebay.  They cost GBP 20.00 and are very worthwhile having.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203756290354?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338268676&toolid=10044&customid=CjwKCAiA6Y2QBhAtEiwAGHybPbL2Rt_yKNM6qp5cAvhU_pkHHL1UJponAlotcjm2YB81BRGsGW0o1xoCYiQQAvD_BwE

Useful mods are to add an extra oil feed to the top of the engine to help lube the inlet valve.  You should change the engine & fork oil seals as almost all rubber parts will have perished by now.  Be very careful with the fork top nuts as they are aluminium and the threads strip easily, especially as you will reinsert them against the spring pressure.

Change the headlight out for one from a Mk1 VW Polo (if you had them in Oz).  It's about the same size but will enable you to have an H4 halogen headlight, but not exact. The headlight glass will rest directly onto the headlight rim, but you can put rubber U channel onto the rim to protect the glass. You will need to fit relays to control the high & low beam so you don't overload the handlebar switch.  Useful to have a relay on the horn too.

If you need to remove the flywheel, you can't get the original castellated socket for the special nut inside the flywheel.  However there is a Honda suspension tool that will do the job.  The thread is the opposite to normal and you might need a rattle gun.

Clutches can slip mainly due to age & old oil.  Oddly, this can happen at high cruising speeds. Replacements are available, but expensive.  Use new heavy duty springs.  Not a difficult job to do (can be done with the engine in the frame) but you will need to make a clutch compressor (easy).  Once done, I suggest you use oil developed especially for wet clutches (for peace of mind). Then you can forget about the clutch.

You could also fit a Dynastart instead of the dynamo.  It takes a bit if engineering, but saves kickstarting the bike. 

New petrol taps are rubbish.  The NF has a peculiar M12 thread, not common to other types.  If you get new taps, the seals are easy enough to replace, but have a tendency to move inside the tap housing which can restrict fuel flow.

Otherwise, it's an interesting bike to ride and will turn heads.

Rob

Hi All,
and Happy New Year
The January 2022 edition of 'Real Classics'  magazine has an article about owning a Nuovo Falcone.
Written by a regular contributor, who has a collection of interesting and thoroughbred bikes, it is quite complimentary.
Mentions the 'downs' without moaning and praises the good points.
i enjoyed it, a recommended read.
(Includes some excellent photos as well).
Cheers,   Phil

Sorry to hear that Rob, but don’t let one bad apple spoil what has become quite a useful resource. For what it’s worth, getting my wheels rebuilt in stainless back in 2003 was the best money I ever spent. My Polizia model also has a leak, but so far I haven’t managed to get the flywheel nuts off. I’ll be several hundred miles North of you in the Cairngorms, but hope your day goes well. Come up to the Scottish double some year. It was a great pair of weekend runs pre-Covid!

Bummer about the oil leak Rob (where from?).
Still, it’s good to hear you now have a clutch that works… 

Thanks for the three write-ups on this Rob, and sorry for the long delay in replying.
I'll be honest ad say that after checking the site dozens of times and finding nothing new, I just gave up!
You're lucky to have someone to ship for you.
So many parts are available only from Germany, and so few suppliers seem at all interested in the hassle of dealing with the UK, and who can blame them if they have plenty other customers.
I bought a set of used plates off eBay, and hope they will see me through if I do run into problems,